Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Nearly Half of Americans Play Video Games

Almost half of American adults (49 percent) play video games (on a computer, TV, game console, cell phone, or tablet), according to a Pew Research Center survey. A smaller 10 percent consider themselves "gamers."

Percent who play video games by age
Aged 18 to 29: 67%
Aged 30 to 49: 58%
Aged 50 to 64: 40%
Aged 65-plus: 25%

Interestingly, men and women are about equally likely to report ever playing video games—50 percent of men and 48 percent of women. Among 18-to-29-year-olds, 77 percent of men and 57 percent of women play video games. The gender pattern is reversed among adults aged 50 or older: 29 percent of men and a larger 38 percent of women play video games.

ABOUT ME

Demographer and editorial director of New Strategist Press, Cheryl Russell is the former editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine and The Boomer Report. She has written numerous books about demographic trends. Ms. Russell is a professional demographer with a master's degree from Cornell University.